About 20 signs posted by the Pittsburg teachers’ union Political Action Committee have been vandalized throughout the city.

A sign for Pittsburg school board candidates was slashed recently, while other signs were left intact.

By Theresa Harrington

Pittsburg teachers union members who posted campaign signs last week for school board candidates were unpleasantly surprised Saturday night when about 20 of them were sliced up, apparently with a boxcutter.

The signs were in support of candidates George Miller, Duane Smith, Vince Ferrante and William Wong. Teachers and two candidates filed police reports, but they’re unsure whether officers are investigating the incidents, said Steve Longley, co-chair of the Pittsburg Education Association political action committee (PAC).

“The signs came out of the PAC,” Longley said. “Teachers donate a dollar from their paycheck if they choose to, so this is all money out of teachers’ pockets.”

Longley said no other signs were targeted.

“We feel that somone out there is interfering wih the democratic process,” he said. “No one else’s sign was touched. It was just our candidates.”

The three candidates not endorsed by teachers are Pergy McGee Jr., Joseph Arenivar and Robert Bellici.

Longley said teachers plan to put up more signs before the election, but they may leave up a few of the vandalized signs as a symbol of the apparent animosity involved.

“We don’t intend to be intimidated,” he said. “We have about three activities a week planned. We’ll continue to go door to door and phone bank and put signs up till Nov. 2.”

Anyone with information about the vandalism can call the Pittsburg police or county sheriff’s department at 646-6441.